Local lawmakers got contributions from company under investigation

By MATTHEW BEATON / The News Herald

Published: Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 10:11 PM.

Also Patronis pointed to his anti-gambling and anti-Internet-café bona fides to show the money didn’t affect his record. He received the initial $500 donation in February 2011, but voted for a bill to ban Internet cafes outright in 2012.

“I was one of a number of Republicans who voted to put them out of business. Just because an entity gives me a contribution doesn’t mean they have bought my vote,” he said, adding he always votes “my conscience and my district.”

Patronis also sponsored legislation (HB 951) this year that would put a moratorium on Internet cafes, allowing them to remain, but preventing their expansion. He has said the ultimate plan was to “phase out” these establishments over time.

The bill did receive support from the Coalition of Florida’s Internet Cafes because it didn’t eliminate these businesses.

“We support the legislation because it is not an outright ban,” said Sarah Bascom, spokeswoman for the coalition, in a News Herald story.

Now, Patronis has signed on to a bill that would ban Internet cafes immediately, and there’s been surge of support to push ban bills through the House and Senate.

Meanwhile Coley received her $500 check from IIT in December 2011, but was unequivocal about her distaste for gaming.

TALLAHASSEE— Area lawmakers who received campaign contributions from a company being investigated for racketeering and money laundering are quickly distancing from the business, saying these checks don’t affect their votes.

International Internet Technologies (IIT), whose owner has been arrested for racketeering and conspiracy, provided gambling software to about 50 Internet cafes run by Allied Veterans of the World, a nonprofit also being investigated.

State Reps. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, and Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, all received $500 contributions from IIT during their most recent campaigns. Also Patronis received additional contributions for his state Senate campaign for election year 2016. He’s running for Senate President Don Gaetz’s District 1 seat, a Niceville Republican who will be term limited.

Patronis said he received “some money” from IIT, but cut them a check Wednesday sending all the money back to the company. He said he was unsure of the exact amount he received, but indicated it was multiple contributions.

“I believe I received a few checks from them,” he said.

Patronis’ campaign finance report for his Senate race has not yet been made public. He must file his first-quarter report by April 10, according to the state’s Division of Elections.

Also Patronis pointed to his anti-gambling and anti-Internet-café bona fides to show the money didn’t affect his record. He received the initial $500 donation in February 2011, but voted for a bill to ban Internet cafes outright in 2012.

“I was one of a number of Republicans who voted to put them out of business. Just because an entity gives me a contribution doesn’t mean they have bought my vote,” he said, adding he always votes “my conscience and my district.”

Patronis also sponsored legislation (HB 951) this year that would put a moratorium on Internet cafes, allowing them to remain, but preventing their expansion. He has said the ultimate plan was to “phase out” these establishments over time.

The bill did receive support from the Coalition of Florida’s Internet Cafes because it didn’t eliminate these businesses.

“We support the legislation because it is not an outright ban,” said Sarah Bascom, spokeswoman for the coalition, in a News Herald story.

Now, Patronis has signed on to a bill that would ban Internet cafes immediately, and there’s been surge of support to push ban bills through the House and Senate.

Meanwhile Coley received her $500 check from IIT in December 2011, but was unequivocal about her distaste for gaming.

“I have always voted against any legislation that expanded gambling,” she said in an emailed statement. “In fact, I voted to ban Internet cafes in the 2012 legislative session."

She added: “Contributing to my campaign does not control my vote on issues. I vote according to the merit of the legislation, not according to who has contributed to my campaign.”

Evers, too, was quick to distance himself from IIT.

“If I had been aware of it, I wouldn’t have taken the money,” he said. “I felt like they were a legitimate business, and as any business, they were just donating to a campaign.”

Evers has already filed paperwork to retain his seat and said to his knowledge, he had not received any IIT contributions for the upcoming race.

“If I had any in my new campaign, where I had the money, yes, I would return it,” he said.

Also Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Senate president’s son, said he would not have accepted the contribution had he known the full story on IIT.

“Not a whole lot of Internet café companies support me because I’ve consistently fought to wipe them from existence in Florida,” he said.